Though they’ve both endorsed high-speed rail in concept, Palo Alto and Redwood City intend to continue staying out of the political fray ahead of the November election.

But if voters statewide approve the $10 billion bond measure, both cities will face a big decision.

They’re the presumptive front-runners for the rail line’s only stop between San Jose and Millbrae. Only one of the two cities will be selected, said Mehdi Morshed, executive director of the California High Speed Rail Authority.

The choice will depend on a number of factors, but chief among them is which city most wants the stop. Once the state budget eventually passes and frees up money for consultants, “We’ll sit down and discuss the plans in detail with every city, every community, everybody who has an interest in this corridor,” Morshed said.

The discussions will include not only where to place stops but how to build the railroad — that is, whether on a bridge or in a trench. Downtown Palo Alto would be a logical stop for the train, said Gayle Likens, the city’s transportation manager.

It’s the second-most popular stop on the Caltrain line, behind downtown San Francisco, and offers easy access to Stanford University.

Still, Likens said, there would need to be some serious discussion before Palo Alto decides to actively compete for a stop. One big question is how much parking would be required.

Palo Alto Councilwoman Yoriko Kishimoto said she is excited about the possibility of a high-speed stop but would not want to see a big parking garage like the one in Millbrae.

“If it’s a model where people take shuttles to Palo Alto to catch it, or they take Caltrain, then it makes a lot of sense,” Kishimoto said. “The general feeling I get is that the people in Palo Alto are quite supportive of high-speed rail.”

She said she’s considering calling for a public city council discussion on the issue to see whether a formal resolution is warranted.

In Redwood City, several local leaders have endorsed high-speed rail in their capacities on regional transit boards, but the city itself has not taken a stand on the bond issue. Nor has it decided whether it would want a stop, said Mayor Rosanne Foust.

“Because the train bisects our downtown, we want to make sure that anything that would happen will be a positive and not a negative,” she said. “I feel like we have to be open and take a look at it after the election.”

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